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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

If you mean which distribution flavours are similar to others, then I don't think the answer is clear..or at least you should specify in which way they should be similar: based on the same system (similar as in Ubuntu compared to Debian), act and look the same way, have almost if not completely identical package management, use same desktop or what? There are many ways in which distributions can be "similar"..but if you'll clarify that, I think some answers can be given (or then not, it depends).

Basically you can take a look at sites like distrowatch that contain information about distributions. Some sites may have a way of categorizing distributions, for example by their use (desktop-aimed, server-aimed, firewalling-aimed distributions etc.) or "skill level" (LFS, Ubuntu, ...) Then if you mean which distributions are more or less based on some other distributions, you should visit the distributions' websites or some forums, there is usually mentioned (you can do a web search if you like, to speed this up) what is based on what. For example Ubuntu is based on Debian, and so on.

Overall it's a tough question. Asking from people, in IRC for example, is a good way also